Golf-ball.



Patented Apr. 29, I902. E. KEMPSHALL.

G 0 L F B A L L (Application filed Mar. 19, 1902.)

,2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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157;; p v Kane/uh an; c1317 %c's fll'tavn y No. 698,512. r Patented Apr.29; I902.

E. KEMPSH ALL.

GULF B ALL. (Application filed Mar. 19, 1902.) (N0 Mum) 2 Sheets-Sheet2.

In vex 2'10?! a I UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

ELEAZER'KEMPSHALL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR TO THE KEMPSHALLMANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GOLF-BALL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,512, dated April29, 1902.

Application filed March 19,1992, serial mgeaeva. (lie model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known. that I, ELEAZER KEMPsHALL, acitizen of theUnited States, ,residing'in Boston, in the countyof Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Golf-Balls, of which the following is a specification. Ia This invention relates to playing-balls, and especially to the kindused in the game of golf and its chief object is to improve andstrengthen the outer portion of the ball, particularly with a view toproviding against the bursting of the shell or cover when sub,- jectedto severe usage in a game.

In my pending application, Serial No. 76,814, filed September 27, 1901,is illustrated a golfball provided with a celluloid shell, this materialbeing highly wear-resisting, not liable to be chipped nor affected bywarm or cold Weather, waterproof, and adapted tohold its color,.whichqualities-render it valuable for use as a cover. The present inventionis in the nature of an improvement on the structure illustrated in saidapplication.

I use for the shell, preferably, a thin layer compounded of celluloidand fabric and a thick inner layer of gutta-percha, each layer beingformed of segments, preferably hemispherical, and I depend largely uponthe cohesion of the gutta-percha segments to hold the entire shelltogether and prevent rupture of the celluloid at the joint.Thincelluloid possesses as great advantagesasthick cellu-l loid for thecover of a golf-ball and is also somewhat more flexible, besides beingmore easily and, thoroughly cured and toughened.

Inthe accompanying drawings, Fignrel illustrates the last stage in theprocess of making a ball. Fig. 2 is an enlarged section." Fig. 3 shows acompleted ball partly in section. Fig. 4 illustrates a step in theprocess, of making a ball. Fig. 5 is a view, partly in section, of theball shown at Fig. 4;. Fig. 6 isa perspective, and Fig. 7 across-section, of a celluloid and fabricphalf-shell. Fig. 8 shows twohalf-shells applied to the Fig. 5 article before the ball is subjectedto the process at Fig. 1. r

In the several views like parts are desig- 5o nated by like characters.

I preferablyemploy a small core A, of guttapercha, which is preferablyintroduced while in a fluent condition and then hardened within a rubberenvelop B ofmedium thickness, thegutta-percha being forced into saidenvelop to such an extent as to materially expand said envelop, as setforth in an application filed by Francis H. Richards December 3, 1901,Serial No. 84,529, whereby the envelop, especially the exterior portionthereof, is put into a state of high longitudinal tension, as indicatedby thebroken curved lines 0. The interior portion of the envelop iscompressed by the exterior portion," as indicated by the radiallines D,and the core is held constantly under compression by said envelop. Thecombination of compressed core and distended envelop enhances theefficiency of the ball when struck a heavy blow.

Upon the compound rubber and guttapercha filling I place a substantialshell E, of gutta-percha, preferably in the form of l1ol 10whemispheres, the joint between them be ing indicated at F. The partsthus assembled I place between dies G and H, Fig. 4, which are heatedand brought together with great force. The heat softens the guttaperchashell and enables it to weld at the joint F. a I thus form a shell Eupon the rubher and gutta-percha filling which possesses great strengthand durability. The pressure of the dies compacts and solidifies theshell, the confined mass of rubber and gutta-percha being su'flicientlyresisting to support the comparatively weak material of the shell underany desired degree of pressure of the forming-dies.

I The gntta-percha possesses to a superlative degree the quality ofstoring up force from a blow, which is necessary in a golf-ball. It willbe understood that it is important in view of the small size of the ballused in this case and the necessity of carrying or flying a greatdistance to use in its construction such I a combination of materials aswillutilize to advantage every portion of the mass of the to providetherefor a shell which not only protects said filling, but also itselfcontributes in a large degree to the flying power or efficiency of theball, while preventing alight.

blow from affecting the highly-elastic interior. It is not essential inall cases, however, that the core A be gutta-percha nor that the rubberenvelop be in a state of distention.

In forming a hemispherical half-blank for the ball-cover, Figs. 6 and 7,I use a layer of fabric 2 and a layer of celluloid 3, which arecompacted under heat and pressure, the fabric 2 being,preferably,firsttreated with green celluloid, so that when the more thoroughly curedcelluloid 3 is applied thereto and the whole subjected to heat andpressure the solvent in the green celluloid acts upon sheet 3 andrenders it somewhat plastic, so that it penetrates the meshes of thefacric and becomes welded and concreted with the cellu loid originallycontained therein, thus forming practically a continuous sheet ofcelluloid having fabric meshes interspersed therein and-making amoldable andextremely tough and durable material for ball-covers. WhileI prefer to form 21. facing 3 on only one side of the fabric, still itmay be used on both sides thereof, the whole, however, forming,preferably, a very thin material. These half-shells'I cement upon theFig. 5 ball in the manner illustrated at Fig. 8, with the edges of theshells overlapping, as at J,

' and the seam preferably running crosswise of the weld F of thegutta-percha shell. ball thus formed I place between dies K and L, Fig.1, which are heatedso as to render .the celluloid plastic and thenforced together j upon the ball, further compacting the same and alsocausing the overlapping, telescoping, or lap-jointed shell edges to weldtogether, as at J, and make a complete shell. Said dies K and L areprovided with pits M, which emboss brambles N on the ball.

The ball is kept in the dies under pressure, as at Fig. 1, until thecelluloid and gnttapercha have cooled and hardened sufficiently toretain their shape and permanently hold the core under compression, thecelluloid cover or casing being firmly looked upon the derivatives ofcelluloid, pyroxylin, and the like.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A playing-ball comprising acasing consisting of a pair of overlapping sections, each sectionconsisting of fabric and celluloid.

The

2. A playing-ball comprising a casing consisting wholly of a singlelayer of celluloid and lined with fabric, and a yielding sphere uponwhich said casing is cemented.

3. A playing-ball comprising a yielding filling and hemisphericalcover-segments consisting wholly of plastic material and lined withfabric cemented upon said filling.

41 A playing ball comprising welded hemispheres of gutta-percha uponwhich are cemented and compressed telescoping hemispheres of fabric andcelluloid.

5. A playing-ball comprising a core, and hemispheres of gutta-perchawelded thereon, and telescoping hemispheres compounded of fabric andcelluloid cemented and compressed upon said gutta-percha.

6. A playing-ball comprising a sphere of soft rubber; hemispheres ofgutta percha welded or joined upon said sphere; and telescopinghemispheres of fabric and celluloid cemented and compressed upon saidgnttapercha.

7. A playing-ball comprising a sphere of gutta-percha; a sphericalsoft-rubber envelop thereon; an outer sphere of gutta-percha upon saidenvelop; and a telescoping covering compounded of celluloid and fabricandcemented and compressed upon said outer sphere.-

8. A playing-ball comprising a sphere of gutta-percha; a sphericalsoft-rubber envelop thereon; hemispheres of gntta-percha welded orjoined upon said envelop; and a cover consisting of telescopinghemispheres of compounded fabric and celluloid cemented and compressedupon said gutta-percha.

9. A playing-ball comprising a sphere of gutta-percha a sphericalsoft-rubber envelop thereon; hemispheres of gntta-percha welded orjoined upon said sphere; and a covering consisting of telescopinghemispheres compounded of fabric and celluloid secured upon saidgutta-percha; said gntta-perchaand celluloid holding said core undercompression.

10. A playing-ball coniprisinga thin celluloid and fabric cover made intelescoping'segments.

11. A playing-ball comprising a thin celluloid and fabric cover made intelescoping hemispherical segments which are compressed upon the ball.

12. A playing-ball comprising a sphere of of gutta-percha covered by asphere of soft rubber, and a shell of gutta-percha thereon, said shellbeing covered with a material compounded of at least one layer of fabricand at least one layer'of celluloid, said material being concreted andthe celluloid permeating the fabric; and said cover being made in teleIIO scoping segments and compressed upon the shell having lap-jointedsections offabric and ball. i I i Celluloid, and a filling of yieldihgmaterial 10 14. A playing-ball comprising a yielding held undercompressionby said'shell. fillin and a shell the latter includin" lap-oI 5 jointzd sect-ionolf fabric' and plastio rhate- E R HA rial, andsaidfilling being held undercom- Witnesses: pression by said shell. i'B. O. STIoKNEY,

15. An elastic playing-ball oomprishig a JOHN O. SEIFERT.

